Well, research on this is still ongoing but, it seems it might be we’ve been enjoying the company of non-humans for a lot longer that first thought.

Now, you have to look at how humans have seen animals throughout our time together; Domesticated animals are those we’ve tamed – this may be for food, milk, clothing/materials and work tools (pulling heavy items, protection and transport).  However, at some point – we started keeping domesticated animals simply as a companion; because it brought us some sort of joy.

One main certainty is ‘dogs’ were the first domesticated animal, but no one can really know if this was for working purposes or pleasure.

It also seems no one truly currently knows which animal become the first official ‘pet’ as the role of animals in our lives has been an ever evolving relationship.

Greger Larson: The Director of the University of Oxfords Palaeogenomics & Bio-Archaeology Research Network believes that dogs were domesticated twice in human history;

Once in Europe around 16,000 years ago and the again in Asia around 14,000 years ago – from 2 separate wolf lineages.

Maine University researchers have even found evidence that dogs were bread (and sometimes eaten) by humans living in and around Texas 9,400 years ago (they found a small dog bone in some fossilised human poop).

Larson also has proof of both dogs AND cats being buried with humans around 12,000 years ago but, they don’t really know why.

There is some new research to suggest cats may have been seen as a pet back around 9,500 years ago on Cyprus and rabbits may have been tamed back in Roman or even Stone Age times.

It is thought though, that our modern idea of pet ownership may go back to the 19th century.

What seems to be agreed on though is that when we think of domestic animals as pets; it’s for no other reason that the joy and pleasure that it brings.

They don’t ‘work’ to earn their keep.

We may have wanted them for status at some points in history (think about the costs; if they don’t work to earn YOU money why would you spend YOUR money simply on their upkeep?), it showed we had money to spend frivolously, on none essentials.

But i think it’s easy to see by the absolute mind boggling array of animals we humans now keep as pets – we simply love having a wee non-human companion around us to spend time with, to share love with, to have fun with, to care for and feel some form of emotional connection with.

You can learn more at the following: https://worldanimalfoundation.org/advocate/pet-ownership-statistics/